The Cave Crocodile

A colossal crocodile-man lurking in the underground river of Laewendas's upstream cave north of Ponterford — an ambush predator that dozes wedged in the rock and explodes at anything that disturbs the water, in the classic crocodile-hunter way. Estimated at 8–10 times Lash's size, with blindsight to the prey it cannot see. The GM rates its challenge rating higher than the Grabber Queen, Caressa — "mini-boss level super threat," the single deadliest thing the party has scouted, and one of the cave's three real dangers (with the Hat Man and the allied Snatcher). Whether it is a deliberate guardian of Laewendas's or merely a resident apex predator of Rivalon's flooded depths is unknown.

(Unnamed; a "crocodile man," distinct from the frog-folk's river crocolion (Session 34). Spelling/identity loose.)

Session 40 (debut)

• Woke to an invisible Lash's passage and launched at her; she acted first and rode the current downstream, his jaw-slam shockwave flinging her clear of a bite that would have dealt 100+ damage — "that would have just 100% killed me."
• Left aware that something crossed the river, but not what (no compromise of the plan); the GM warns the party not to face him in the water, and to ask Pimothy whether he even knows the crocodile is there.

Session 41

• Pimothy knew — and it killed his plan. Pimothy admits (reading his blank Braille book) that a "great crocolisk man" — linked to one Sir Davondos — has refuged in the river ~2 months, shelving his whole scuba-infiltration scheme.
• Possibly an ally of convenience. Pimothy judges the croc "a man of Laewendas, but not by choice," standoffish, with movement-based vision, who will kill any Laewendas agent who falls in the water as readily as the party — so long as no one enters the water and no one moves when he surfaces. The party resolves to leave him be (and maybe turn him to their advantage). (Name "Sir Davondos" open.)